Tokyo, July 10 (EFE).- Downpours lashing southwestern Japan since the weekend have prompted the country’s meteorological authorities on Monday to issue special weather alerts due to the risk of landslides and floods.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued heavy rain emergency warnings for the southwestern prefectures of Fukuoka and Oita at level five, the highest on the warning system.
It asked citizens to be extremely vigilant regarding landslides and possible flooding and move to evacuation sites, or to higher ground away from cliffs and rivers.
The alerts were announced hours after a woman in her 70s died after a landslide hit the home she shared with her husband, according to the public broadcaster NHK.
At the weekend, authorities recommended the evacuation of 370,000 people and the suspension of regional and high-speed train services after rainfall of more than 100 millimeters was recorded over six hours.
This front that has been affecting the southern half of the Japanese archipelago has also caused particularly significant damage in Shimane prefecture, where 20 river overflows and 15 landslides were recorded. EFE
emg/tw
